B.J. Daniels the Cardwell Ranch Collection

by B. J Daniels

  The smoke was thick now, the flames licking closer and closer as the whole barn went up in flames.

  “Oh, Hilde, I’m so sorry for not trusting you,” Dana cried, and hugged her.

  “Right now, we have to find a way out of here.”

  The two of them tried to find another spot along the wall where they could get out. The barn was old but sturdily built, and the smoke was so thick now that staying low wasn’t helping. They could hear the flames growing closer and closer.

  With a whoosh the back of the barn began to cave in.

  The rest of the structure groaned and creaked. But over the roar of the flames and the falling boards, Hilde heard another sound. A vehicle headed in their direction.

  * * *

  DEE HAD LEFT Dana a note. “I couldn’t find you and the kids when I got ready to leave for the airport, so I borrowed your pickup. Thank you for everything. I’ll leave the truck in long-term parking. Dee.”

  Then she’d taken the keys from where she’d seen Dana hang them on a hook by the door and left.

  After they’d finished their horseback ride yesterday, Hud had unsaddled the horses and put everything away. Then she’d heard him go upstairs, his boots heavy on the steps, as if he dreaded telling his wife about her cousin.

  She’d listened hard but hadn’t heard a sound once he entered his and Dana’s bedroom, confirming what she’d suspected. That he hadn’t awakened Dana last night to tell her.

  Earlier this morning when Dee had come downstairs, she’d seen Hud and Dana with their heads together. He had definitely told her something. She’d seen how reluctant he was to leave his wife. They’d done their best to act normal. But she could tell they were counting down the hours until she left.

  She’d helped herself to a cup of coffee. Dana had made French toast and sausage for breakfast and offered her a plate. Dee ate heartily as Dana took care of the kids and nibbled at the food on her plate. “You should eat more breakfast,” Dee told her.

  “I’m fine. Anyway, I still need to lose a few pounds after the twins.”

  But this is your last breakfast, Dee had wanted to say. She hoped on her last day on earth she ate a good breakfast, since she would never be eating again.

  As she drove away from the ranch, she glanced at the barn. Flames were licking up the sides. She looked away, thinking how sad it was that things hadn’t worked out differently.

  She looked back only once more as she drove past Big Sky. Smoke billowed up into the air across the river, an orange glow behind the pines. She gave the pickup more gas. She had a plane to catch, and there was no going back and changing things now.

  She turned on the radio and began to sing along. She had no idea where she was going or what she would do when she got there, but she had Dee Anna Justice’s trust fund check and options. She would find another identity and disappear.

  What amazed her as she left the canyon was that she’d ever thought she could be happy living on Cardwell Ranch with Hud.

  * * *

  COLT SAW THE smoke and flames in the distance the moment he came out of the narrow part of the canyon. He felt his heart drop. He raced up the highway, calling the fire department as he went, and turned onto the ranch road.

  At first he thought it was the house on fire, but as he came up over a rise, he saw that it was the barn. For a moment he felt a wave of relief. Then he saw Hilde’s SUV parked in front of the house. Dana’s ranch pickup was gone. Maybe they’d all left to take Dee to the airport. Maybe they were all fine.

  But his gut told him differently.

  When he saw the stroller lying on its side in front of the barn and the door barred, he knew. Holding his hand down on the horn, he hit the gas and raced toward the burning front door of the barn.

  The bumper smashed through the burning wood as the expensive rental SUV burst into the barn. Pieces of burning wood hit the windshield, sparks flew all around him and then there was nothing but dark thick smoke.

  The moment the SUV broke through the door, he hit his brakes. It’s too late, he thought when he saw the entire shell of the barn in flames, the smoke so thick he couldn’t see his hand in front of his face. He leaped from the rig, screaming Hilde’s name. The heat was so intense he felt as if his face were burning. He feared the vehicle’s gas tank would explode any moment.

  Then he heard her answer.

  She and Dana came out of the smoky darkness silhouetted against the walls of flames.

  “Where are the babies?” he yelled over the roar of the flames.

  “They got out!” Hilde yelled back.

  He shoved them both into the SUV and threw it in Reverse. The heat was unbearable. He knew if he didn’t get the rig out now...

  The hood of the SUV, the paint peeling and blackened, had just cleared the edge of the barn when he heard the loud crash, and the barn began to collapse.

  If he’d been just a few minutes later...

  He wouldn’t let himself even imagine that as he slammed on the brakes back from the inferno. Hilde and Dana were coughing and choking, but he could hear fire trucks and the ambulance on its way.

  “My babies,” Dana choked out.

  “They’re in that outbuilding,” Hilde said, pointing a good ways from the burning remains of the barn.

  “Where’s Dee?” he asked them.

  “She left after she started the fire,” Hilde said.

  “I heard her take my truck,” Dana added. She was already getting out of the SUV to go after her children, Hilde at her heels. Colt ran ahead and found the children all safe, huddled together in a back corner of the outbuilding.

  Later, as the fire department and EMTs took care of Hilde and Dana and the kids, he told Hilde, “I have to go after Dee. I can’t let her get on that plane.”

  “I’m fine,” she told him. “Go!”

  Chapter Sixteen

  The ride to the airport outside of Bozeman was the longest one of Colt’s life. He called ahead and asked that Dee Anna Justice be detained, but he was told that she’d already gone through security. Two airport officials were looking for her, but so far they hadn’t found anyone matching the description he’d given them.

  Camilla’s plane was scheduled to board within twenty minutes.

  “Don’t let her get on that plane,” Colt ordered. “Hold her there until I get there. Consider her armed and dangerous.”

  “Armed? She just went through security. I’m sure if she was—”

  “You don’t know this woman. She’s dangerous. Have your officers approach her with extreme caution.”

  He was just outside of Belgrade when Hud called.

  “I’m on my way to the airport,” Hud said. “Make sure that woman doesn’t get away, Deputy.”

  “I’m doing my best,” Colt said. “But I’m on suspension.”

  “Your suspension was lifted hours ago,” Hud said. “About the time you saved my wife’s life. We’ll talk about that later. Where are you?”

  Colt told him he was turning onto the airport road. He was only minutes away from confronting Camilla Northland.

  * * *

  DEE LOOKED INTO the women’s restroom mirror, appraising herself. She’d brushed out her hair. Since it was naturally curly, it flowed around her head like a dark halo.

  She’d applied makeup, especially eye shadow, mascara and blush, sculpting her face. It amazed her how different she looked from the woman who’d been staying at Cardwell Ranch.

  As she studied herself in the mirror, she liked what she saw. She’d been able to cover most of the damage she’d done to herself. But maybe when she got wherever she was going, she’d change her hair. Something short and blond. Yes, she liked that idea. A whole new her.

  That thought made her laugh. When she’d first left Oklahoma, she’d be
lieved in her heart that she could put the past behind her, become whoever and whatever she wanted.

  She hadn’t realized then how deep the past had embedded itself in her. It ate at her like a parasite, a constant reminder that she was broken and while she might be able to put back the pieces, she would never be whole.

  One of the female security guards stuck her head in the restroom door. Camilla saw her out of the corner of her eye but continued to carefully apply another coat of bright red lipstick.

  “Excuse me,” the woman said. “We’re checking boarding passes. May I see yours?”

  “Of course,” Camilla said. She took her time putting the lipstick back into her purse. “Here it is.”

  The woman started to take it, her attention on the slip of paper. More important the name on the paper. No Dee Anna Justice but Amy Matthews.

  Dee Anna’s boarding pass was buried at the botton of the trash container.

  The security officer looked from the boarding pass to Camilla, then handed the paper back. “Have a nice flight, Ms. Matthews. I believe your flight is boarding now,” the woman said.

  “Thank you.” Camilla walked out and got into line for the flight to Seattle. In a few minutes she would be on board.

  She had hoped to catch an earlier flight, but it hadn’t worked out. Fortunately, she’d planned for this, making several flights in three different names. One in the name of Dee Anna Justice to New York. Another as Amy Matthews to Seattle. And a third flight earlier that day to Las Vegas under the name Patricia Barnes.

  Like Rick, she had three different identities ready. She’d just been smart enough not to get caught with them on her, though.

  She’d missed the flight to Vegas by only minutes. Finishing up her business at the ranch had taken longer than she’d hoped.

  Not that it mattered now. Within minutes she would be on her way to Seattle. No one was looking for Amy Matthews.

  She figured Hud must have come home sooner than expected. Or that deputy, Colt Dawson, had showed up. Either way, it would be too late.

  It wasn’t as if she’d thought for a moment they wouldn’t suspect her given everything that had happened. But they had no proof.

  Anyway, she would be long gone before they could get to the airport. Even if they should somehow track her down, they still couldn’t do anything except get her for using an alias. Or yes, and pretending to be Dee Anna Justice.

  She’d cried her way out of more of those situations than she could remember. If tears didn’t work, then her life story definitely did. Of course she was messed up. Imagine living your life with such suspicions hanging over you.

  It had worked every other time. It would now, too, because without proof, they couldn’t touch her. With Dana, Hilde and the kids gone...

  She left the restroom and walked to her gate. The woman taking her boarding pass told her to hurry, her flight was about to leave.

  She hurried down the ramp and into the plane just moments before the flight attendant was about to shut the door. She’d timed it close, but she hadn’t wanted to risk sitting at the gate in case anyone she knew was looking for her.

  As she slipped into her first-class seat next to a businessman in a nice suit, she told herself her luck might be changing.

  “Hello,” she said and extended her hand. “I’m Amy Matthews.”

  “Clark Evans.”

  The flight attendant asked her what she would like to drink.

  “I’d love a vodka Collins,” she said. “I’m celebrating. Today’s my birthday. Join me?” she asked the business executive, taking in his gold cuff links, the cut of his suit and the expensive wristwatch.

  “How can I say no?” he said, already flirting with her.

  “Yes, how can you?” she asked, flirting back. “I have a feeling that this could be a very interesting flight.”

  * * *

  COLT RAN INTO the airport. The head of security met him the moment he came through the door.

  “Dee Anna Justice hasn’t checked in for her flight. It was supposed to leave ten minutes ago,” the man told him. “We’ve held it as long as we can. So far, she’s a no-show.”

  “Dee Anna Justice definitely isn’t on the flight? You checked all the passengers?”

  “No one matching her description is on the flight, and everyone is accounted for,” he assured Colt.

  Colt had been so sure she would make her flight. As gutsy as the woman was and as bulletproof as she’d been, she would think she had nothing to fear.

  She’d already gone through security, so she’d been here. But that didn’t mean she didn’t change her mind and leave.

  Maybe she was running scared, though he highly doubted it. Camilla had an arrogance born of getting away with murder.

  “What other flights have left in the last hour?” he asked.

  “Only one, but it’s to Seattle. The plane is taxiing down the runway right now.”

  “Stop that plane.”

  “I’m not sure—”

  “This woman just tried to kill six people, four of them children, by burning them alive. Stop the plane. Now.”

  * * *

  CAMILLA WAS SIPPING her drink, smiling at her companion, when the pilot announced they would be returning to the terminal because of an instrument malfunction.

  She looked past the man next to her out his window. Sunlight ricocheted off the windows of the terminal, reminding her of the day she’d flown in here. If she’d gone fishing on the Yellowstone River with Lance...

  Still, even though she knew there was nothing wrong with the instruments, she wasn’t worried. The barn had been burning so quickly, the boards locking the doors would be ashes—all evidence gone.

  Even the spilled fuel oil she’d used to get the barn burning fast would look like nothing more than an accident—at first. She’d started the fire with several candles she’d found in the back of Hilde’s sewing shop, complete with the cute little quilted mats that went with them.

  Everyone knew that Hilde had been losing her mind lately. But to do something this horrible because Dana turned against her? It was almost unthinkable—unless her behavior had been so out of character lately that everyone feared she was having a nervous breakdown. But taking her own life and her friend’s along with Dana’s four children? This story would make headlines across the country.

  The plane taxied back to the small terminal. It wasn’t but a few minutes after she’d heard the door being opened that Deputy Colt Dawson appeared.

  She turned to the man next to her and asked him a question. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Colt start to move through the plane. He was almost past her when he stopped and took a step back until he was right at her elbow. “Camilla,” he said.

  She looked up at him, frowned and said, “I’m sorry. You’re mistaken. My name is Amy Matthews.”

  “Miss...Matthews. I’d like you to come with me. Now,” he said when she hesitated. “You won’t be taking this flight today.”

  She sighed and, picking up her bag, got to her feet. “We’ll have to celebrate another time,” she told the businessman. Colt took her bag from her and quickly frisked her, which made her smile as if she was amused.

  “I never noticed how cute you are,” she said, as he escorted her off the plane to four waiting security guards. He insisted on cuffing her once she was out of sight of the passengers.

  “Is that really necessary?” she asked. “What is this about, anyway? So I didn’t use my real name. I have an old boyfriend who I don’t want to find me. So sue me.”

  “This is about the attempted murder of six individuals, four of them children.” Colt appeared to be fighting to keep his emotions in check.

  Camilla was silent for a moment, then she frowned and said, “Attempted?”

  “That
’s right. They’re all alive. Hilde and Dana will be testifying against you in court.”

  Camilla let out a little laugh. “I suppose you’re the one I should thank for this?”

  “Be my guest,” Colt said, as he led her up the ramp. They were almost to the boarding area when Marshal Hud Savage appeared.

  Colt felt Camilla tense. They all did at the look in the marshal’s eyes. Colt knew exactly how he felt. In the old West she would have been strung up from the nearest tree.

  But this wasn’t the old West, and he and Hud didn’t mete out justice. All they could do was hope and pray that this woman never saw the outside of a cell for the rest of her life.

  * * *

  ONCE AT THE law enforcement center, Camilla Northland’s story was that she’d left the ranch right after Hilde arrived. Dana was with the kids on the front porch as she drove away and had asked Hilde if she wanted to go on a walk with them. That was the last she said that she saw of them.

  She’d seemed surprised that Dana and Hilde had told another story. “I don’t know why they would lie, except that Hilde has been telling lies about me ever since I came to Montana, and Dana must be confused.”

  “It’s over, Camilla,” Colt said, as they all sat in the interrogation room. He tossed the photo of her as a teenager on the table. “Your aunt told me everything. She said she would fly up here if need be.”

  She stared at the photo of herself and her brother. When she looked up, she suddenly looked tired—and almost relieved.

  “It would appear I’m going to need a lawyer,” she said.

  “Just tell me this. How was it that you ended up here pretending to be Dee Anna Justice?”

  For a moment, she didn’t look as if she would answer. “Dee Anna was my roommate in New York City for a while,” she said with a shrug. “The letter came after she’d moved out.”

  “And you decided to take her identity?”

  “I’d never been to Montana,” she said. “I liked the idea of having a cousin I’d never met.” She looked unapologetic as her gaze locked with Hud’s. “And I’d never met a real cowboy.”